I'm Black, living in America. Don't see how tattoos can make discrimination any worse for me. I've been followed around a store before. May as well ride the ride looking how I choose to look in a way that reflects my spirit. I do see her point on hand and face tattoos. I've known what I want for a face tattoo for three years. Still not established enough to do it.
Discrimination happens for a lot of reasons but at least you have some legal protections when it happens on the basis of being in a protected class. Not only does that not apply to body modification it can act as a shield for discrimination caused by other, less legal, reasons.
Illogical. Giving people more incentives to find you undesirable does you no flavors. Dressing respectively and keeping a wholesome appearance vastly increases the odds of attracting quality people.
Other commentors here are already saying but it isn't a coincidence that the most heavily modified people I know IRL already belong to marginalized groups and have been excluded/discriminated from society even when they presented in normal, socially accepted ways. I remember being 16, identifying as a cis girl at the time, and chatting with my trans friend about tattoos. I asked him if he had considered that having tattoos would make seeking employment harder, and he told me "well, nobody will hire me because I'm trans, so tattoos won't change anything." It stuck with me a lot.
Reminds me of the times I showed up to interviews with SIX years experience in the company/field (with management experience), and they still didn't hire me. The only reason I can think of that they wouldn't want me for the job is because I'm visibly trans. SIX YEARS EXPERIENCE means nothing apparently!!!
@@katyungodly it's 99% the fact that you're trans. i have plenty of trans friends who are overqualified for the positions they're applying for and are the perfect candidates and everything goes well until they have to out themselves bc their paperwork isn't changed. then oops! that position has suddenly been filled
To an extent, that's true but you can still make an already disadvantaged situation even more difficult. If there's already a significant group of people who won't hire you (through no fault of your own) in the best of circumstances why do things to intentionally shrink that pool even further?
I have zero modifications, I got zero tattoos, no piercings, no hairdye, nothing. But whenever I see a person that looks like you, I always think how cool it is that people like that aren't afraid to be themselves, I immediatly like them a bit more only for the way that they choose to look. When people meet me they probably think I look kinda boring, but I *love* art in any form and I love individualism. People that look like you are often one of the best people I have ever met. It's unfortunate that in 2024 there's still people who think so black and white about these things. I hope it'll get better in the future.
me too. i have nothing but people filled with tattoos are so cool to me. i’m a woman so i especially admire other women with bad ass tattoos or alternative haircuts, they look so cool.
When I was getting my sleeve, I said I'm happy to go right down to my wrist. My artist then asked me what I do for work, I said games development, and then he was like "yep that's great then, won't cause you any trouble". He took the time to check, and I appreciated it.
I personally never got to a stage in life where my tats would aeriously affect my job; but also if a company is going to want to control what i do with my body in my life during my freee time theyd have to he paying me a HELL of a lot of money 😂
Oof, i would personally regard a doctor commenting on how attractive a patient is or should be as highly inappropriate, to a degree that i would consider contacting their licensing association's ethics board.
As a nurse with light tattoos and piercings who has the great fortune of working at a place that lets us be quite modified, the idea of withholding pain medication from someone with a broken femur makes me want to fight those providers. My personal pain relief theory is that people who DO use dr*gs regularly need more pain relief, not less, because they are habituated to it. My job is not to judge people or gatekeep pain relief. My job is to advocate for my patients. If you're in pain, I'm on your side. And any nurse or doctor with half a brain should know that a broken femur is THE TIME for hardcore pain meds, whether you're straight edge or a serious addict.
‘Alternaphobia’ has been a reportable hate crime in the city where I live since a girl was beaten to death and her boyfriend left brain damaged when they were attacked in a park for being goths.
wow. Sorry for asking, but is this city in the US? My country, Brazil, recognizes many -phobias as hate crimes as well (like homophobia, racism, transphobia and mysogyny), but alternaphobia is not one of them, even though we have one of the largest populations with body modifications in the world (my brother, for instance, has 80% of his body covered in tats, and he talks about how people mistreat other people with visibile body modifications). I have seen and heard of people who have not been hired, although they had all the qualifications, because they had visible piercings and tattoos... It's a shame we still have to deal with this in the 21st century... We should treat alternaphobia as a hate crime too, because it is one.
You might be onto something-people often wait until they realize I'm not a "scary trans person!" and that I'm actually a very quiet, shy, but friendly person before they feel comfy enough to start asking about my piercings haha
I was a teenager and was nearly killed because I had internal bleeding and they thought it was all an act and that I was drug seeking. I was left to bleed out for hours screaming from convulsions so intense my abdominal muscles tore themselves apart. I had abdominal separation as a 19 year old boy as though I were a pregnant woman all because of their decision that i was drug seeking. They did no diagnostic tests until I was coding. Then they discovered the massive bleed and that they did not have my blood type. I died in transit to the next hospital. Thankfully I it was as they were bringing me inside. I woke up the next day talking to a surgeon who did not understand why I waited so long to go to the ER. They lied and said I just didn't come in until right when I was coding. All of those nurses got together and lied on their charts about when I first entered their care. This is entirely the fault of our healthcare workers trying to play moralist BS. Who cares if a few random junkies get some drugs from them. Are they really going to let the rest of us suffer and die just so they can feel like they "won" and were not tricked by an addict? There is no practical reason anyone should be denied medical care even if they believe that person is drug seeking. Just do the diagnostic due diligence.
Im a transgender man and my body mods are a direct expression of my gender. I've known for a long time that I want to be 90% covedred in tats and piercings, split tongue etc. For me its hard to talk about the hate I get for my modifications without it tying into transphobia. LIke getting body mods is gender affirming for me personally, but as I'm disabled and poor it does make a lot of people view my in a certain light.
@@m0ss_.m4n the intersection of this is so tough. My mods are also very much a part of my gender expression, and the fact that I work in the damn piercing industry and am still hesitant to get a lot of the work I want because it does effect how clients view you and if they want to get work from you is. It sucks.
What’s crazy to me is that modifications for self expression are villainised and discriminated against, but not like… the plastic surgery modifications moving the goalpost to the naturally unattainable. 😟
my mom overheard an ER doctor tell a colleague “she’s fine. She just wants more attention as if she doesn’t get enough looking like that as is” only to have me crash not even an hour later because I very clearly was not fine. I wasn’t nearly as modified as I am now either. We’re not gatekeeping we just want you to understand this isn’t just weird stares and unwarranted comments from strangers, it’s systemic and it’s something you shouldn’t do on a whim without lots of thought.
I feel like we can guarantee that you would have not had that treatment if you were male. that’s so sad. when a guy is modified, he’s cool and badass. for a woman, it’s attention seeking.
This is such an interesting topic. You don’t even have to look *that* alternative to see a big difference in how you’re treated. Some time ago I cut my long natural hair short and bleached it along with my eyebrows. And *so* many people in positions of power (as little power as an event security guard) suddenly get so uppity and comfortable being rude. It’s a good reminder of how fragile the protection you get from looking mainstream acceptable truly is. If you become disabled, if you gain weight, if you’re neurodivergent in a noticeable way, a switch flips. And as for people whose basic respect hinges on how you look: that respect is worthless, so you might as well sus them out to avoid them in the future.
When I had my septum done I got plenty of comments from older people (shocking) about how I got a "fish hook caught in my face". I had a total of three piercings at the time, lobes and septum. Now I no longer have the septum but I have the lobes, two nostrils, two conches, and a triple helix and have yet to receive any comments. It really just depends on the piercing I guess.
i’m 22 and entering the real adult world this year, i have five tattoos and two very visible facial piercings. not ONCE have i been warned about the implications of them before this video. i knew there was a social stigma, but not to the extent you’ve described here. honestly, im sickened that none of my artists warned me. thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience, i wish this was something people talked about more.
@@rock_garden_m same here as somebody about to turn 21. I already have five facial piercings and tattoos on my shoulder and sternum that I got at 18 and 19. Nobody told me anything
@@ironman_546same I never heard the end of how even dyed hair made me look like “a crack whore” IMO it’s a rural thing. City people usually don’t care AS much, but they can still be weird too depending on where you are.
@@EepyHarmony you would be surprised, i lived in the bay area/sf for ten years up until last year, last job i was a manager and the owner of my store frequently turned away applicants in desperate times away just because they werent "normal" enough. it probably depends on the company, but even from people i knew around the area they were either stuck at a job because no one would hire them, or got piercings/ dyed hair a few months into their job, then basically were stuck. the world is very discriminatory no matter where you are
i have 38 facial piercings + a 12mm septum and i wish i could talk about this to a larger audience. i understand why people stare, its not a common sight especially not rural south US. but lately its been affecting me more, i just dont get how im the weird one when theyre the ones yelling at, touching, following, threatening, laughing at, and sneaking pictures at a stranger whos just tryna get groceries lol
My recommendation is to leave the southern rural US. My life instantly got better when I left rural Alabama, the people there are just icky and immoral.
@@Anthonybrother how does that make people touching them or yelling at them more normal when they're just walking down a grocery aisle? Are you a wild animal or something with no ability to just shrug at someone with metal hanging off them and keep walking?
My arms are heavily tattooed. Last year, I had appendicitis and was sent home from the ER with Tylenol three times. By the time they finally admitted me into the hospital, my appendix had ruptured and I was in kidney failure.
Jfc. That's horrifying. I'm so sorry. I hate that this kind of shit happens so often it just fills me with impotence. Medical neglect is apparently the norm
Time to sue them all into losing their medical licenses and poverty over that level of incompetence and malpractice. You can find a lawyer who will work pro bono because you're both gonna get a large payout over that one- their bigotry could have killed you.
I got married 20 years ago to my wonderful husband and had tats, facial piercings and stretched ears, 20mm at the time, now 30mm and my husband, who has no tattoos nor piercings, got people asking what he saw in me and he would defend me and say I'm a beautiful soul with art on her body. Plus I'm a nurse, have been for 15 years, I get more compliments than judgments and my job allows my stretched lobes as long as I wear plugs not tunnels.
My cheek piercings are turning 10 this December. My piercer didn’t go into nearly this much detail-he just said “come back tomorrow if you really want them.” I had two small tattoos and only ear piercings at that time, and my dumb early-20s ass took it as a challenge. I did go back the next day and I’m SO GLAD I did; for a long time these piercings were the only thing that made me like myself at all. I’ve been really lucky to have experienced almost NO discrimination because of my piercings. I worked as a paralegal for several years, and was later told that I was hired because my “alternative look” made me more relatable for our clients. I now work in animal rescue, so piercings and tattoos are the norm. Most people ask “did those hurt?” or “how does that work?” and I’m happy to have that conversation a million times AND at the same time tell them how I was swollen and looked like a chipmunk for a year and that they’re very difficult piercings. One precious 1st grader asked “do you have nails in your face? 😮” The public has always been kind and interested, and I live in a very conservative state. Where I DO experience discrimination is tattoo/piercing shops. I went back to the shop I got them done at to buy shorter bars (the ONLY place within two hours drive that carried internally threaded jewelry), and they wouldn’t allow me to buy any at first. They demanded to know where I had them done and I told them it was there, and gave them the name of my piercer. They said “oh that makes sense he’s not here anymore” and offered to “look at” my piercings and put in shorter bars for me. I trusted them. They decided one side “didn’t need a shorter bar” and put in a bar on the other side that was both too short AND a size up…the pain from unknowingly stretching it was insane and I changed back to the old bar immediately when I got home. I won’t step foot in that shop EVER again. A year ago I realized I’m trans. I’m honestly a lot more worried about the public’s perception of my transness than I’ve ever been about my piercings or tattoos. I know I’m an outlier and I truly don’t mean to discount your takes! Just….wanted to remind everyone that intersectionality is a thing too. A lot of people are discriminated against for things that aren’t chosen like body mods are. Bigots gonna bigot…I just want to enjoy my flesh suit. 🤷
My dude I cannot tell you how LUCKY you were with that paralegal job, my kudos to you and I'm really glad you had that experience. My mom is a paralegal and luckily for her is not alternative at all, and she's told me how old fashioned and bigoted most of the attorneys she's worked for are. She's heard the nasty comments they make about even just a nose stud. These are also the same attorneys that literally don't know how to turn their own computers on.
@SRHtheHedgehog For sure! I also had brightly colored hair lol. Part of it was the practice area as well-the attorneys I worked with specialized in family law representing victims of DV, consumer debt defense, and chapter 7 bankruptcy, and during Covid we did a bunch of pro bono work for tenants in eviction cases. We were always on the side of the “little guy” so that played a huge part in the accepting nature of my workplace. The nasty, greedy dinosaurs were all on the other side of the aisle. I loved forging working relationships with opposing counsel via email/phone correspondence and then seeing the shock on their face when I approached with my attorneys to introduce myself before a hearing. Decorum required them to be kind to my face and I know it really ate at several of them. 🤭
I have no tattoos, no mods. I have two rare disorders that are known to be very painful, and I have been denied pain meds- didn’t even get Tylenol, after a serious car accident. The first time one on my disorders appeared, my hands swelled up like baseball gloves. The ER doc said to my face “I think you’re on opioids” He ordered a drug test on me, and of course it was negative. A lot of people in pain are treated like crap and denied pain mgmt. That’s the way it is now. I’ve been referred to 3 pain mgmt. clinics.
I'm neurodivergent, disabled, trans and modded. It's been a strange journey so far. When i started getting modded, i didn't plan ahead, i wasn't even sure if I'd make it to 18. But i knew it gave me a feeling of self-empowerment, that I've never felt before. I felt like I'm in control of my body and the way i look for the first time in my life. Now I'm 27. I've medically transitioned since, gotten a couple more tattoos, retired 6 of my 10 piercings and I look a lot more "normal" now...not sure if i like it. I do know the price of being modded now...since i retired most of my piercings, people are nicer to me, i get more opportunities, i seem more trustworthy to people. It's quite a trip, seeing the way people perceive me shift so drastically through different genders and stages of being modified. I definetly want to get more mods and also some heavier ones in the future (full body tattoos, split tongue, maybe some cuttings and more piercings), but I'm definetly gonna wait until i have a sturdy job...
Thanks for talking about this. One thing i find fascinating as a more heavily modded person is that people only get into my face about my mods as soon as my hair color is unnatural as well. I normally get my hair done in balayage blonde but i dabbled into some semi-permanent haircoloring in the past and as soon as my hair was pink, purple, blue etc. i got very rude comments and reactions about my apperance. With my blonde hair i seem to appear more capable or they don't want to go the "i gonna scream to you in public"-route bc i might scream back and get some people on my side as well... Also different outfits make a huge difference. If i dress for work (no strict dresscode, but i like to go for business casual) people don't comment on my looks at all. It sucks that that's the way to get around it apparently and maybe it's also different for other countries but it works here at least (Germany, Europe). I want to end on a good note: Since i'm more heavily and visibly modded i get the attention of more queer folks and less attention from conservative, white cis-men - which i appreciate A LOT! 🤣
I'm a male preschool teacher. I was close to 40 before I started getting visible tattoos and facial piercings. Even with as much security as my experience gives me at my job I am very aware of the tightrope I'm walking for how much I get done.
As someone who just turned 22 and got angel fangs, this got to me, I'd been wanting these for so long that I thought I could finally get them, and I love them so much already, they make me feel at home, but I can't help but think every time about how much less employable I seem now. I already only get jobs when they couldn't see my face most of the time. However, I bought the ticket, and I will ride the ride, but I wish it was going to be a smoother one.
I used to work in public health and epidemiology of substance abuse and harm reduction. I am so tired of alternative, poc and lgbt people (especially alternative and/or lgbt indigenous people, going to the hospital can be outright risky here in Canada where i live) beinf accused of drug seaking when very obviously hurt. Drug seaking happens and 9/10 doctors cannot accurately describe how this normally looks. Im not going to describe it to not trigger anyone but its not people breakinf their leg, dealing with an osteosurgeon isn't anyones plan on getting their fix. Also even if someone is a drug user, if they are in pain they are in pain. If they have obviously broken bones still deserve to be treated like a damn person and have their pain treated. There should be people working there qualified to help people wirh sustance abuse disorders choose rhe best pain management for them. The reality is forcing someone with broken bones to not take anything is more likely to result in relapse than carefully and respectfully making a plan together. And if someone is legitimately confused at being accused of taking drugs than odds are they are confused. Most of the time people in recovery will deny pain meds because they know thats not worth it for them and they also should have that respected. Taking away autonomy from people in a medical crisis isn't gonna help anyone, ever, and there is data to back this up.
Bruh i had a snowboardinf accident 2 years ago, went to 11 seperate doctors (out those 11 3 of which were chiropractors) and always got a weird "checkup" that didnt adress my issues at all, always would say theyre "not prescribing me anything" the entire time i didnt even WANR meds just tonlnow whats wrong with my back I gave up when j couldnt afford health insurance, but im pretty sure its due to my neck tat of goofy rollin a cigarette; they just assumped i wanted drugs and refused to do any real tests on me every time, i asked for back x rays every time and still have never gotten any. Genuinely fuck doctors that do this; they just assume theyre right and refuse to treat a patient depaerately needing help. Theyre jokes.
I’m wondering what the standard for tattoos and piercing are in the PH/epidemiology industry? I’m a PH student who wants a small neck tattoo and hand tattoos and dyed hair but I’m worried about the implications for job searching.
@Sars51723 honestly, i suggest going to clinics (the epidermidist clinics, not the tattoo ones) and asking the workers there themselves what THEY think. A LOT of this comes down to what kind of tattoo and area as well. I, personally, know 3 seperate nurse's and a few doctors with neck tattoos- but most people wouldnt know it, somehow most people miss MY neck tatttoo and mine takes up a quarter of my neck...but really, ypur area and local clinica might be good with it they might not! This also comes down to the CLIENTS of the area; as i know from expierence some areas with....older demographics tend to struggle with people with tats and piercings in at the work place. But ive worked all arpund the us, uve traveled for fun rehab and work on every coast and mountain i could; and youd be surprised. In rehab, 3 of the psychiatrists had tats on all over! In some sober livings, the social workers had a forehead tattoo (that was in texas) and back home in the midwest my cousins a nurse and has a neck tat and an eyebrow piercing; but i also knoa this HAS caused issues with some of them findign employement. Some places are for it, some arent; i personally would rather live my life and if my job has to change its whatever but theres places that are very accepting snd some that arent; dont go overboard some bodymods are cute and endearing; others make some people think you worship satan
"drug seeking" is the stupidest phrase a medical person ever says. Even if the person is "drug seeking".... So what? People have seeked drugs since before Moses.
It's absolutely ridiculous when the guy had a severely broken leg. Like...he's not faking the bone sticking out of his leg!! How are doctors so utterly irrational and gross about that crap!!
What do people think you go to the doctor for? A pep talk? You go for medicine. It would be like me calling everyone who walks into a store a glutton for coming to buy groceries instead of coming to chat. 🙄
@@RedNymph234 some people do actually injure themselves to get more drugs, but the fact remains that their leg is STILL BROKEN. Also i don't think making someone go into shock is the right way to force them out of a drug addiction anyways...so many things wrong with it.
@@SRHtheHedgehog Yep. Anyone who is hurting themselves for drugs is severely mentally ill and probably needs way more care than the average person anyway. The lunacy!
I’ve had some people change their minds about getting a hand tattoo after having a conversation about how they can be difficult to heal/probably need touch ups/will age fast due to wear and tear. I think the reality of having a tattoo in a super visible spot that might not look perfect forever is also something that people who are not heavily tattooed may not consider.
I am visibly modified. I don't do drugs. I am a childrens teacher and work at a Kindergarten. I am having the hardest time ever to find a flat/apartment to live in. Once they see me, they are convinced I am big into parties and drugs and would be a bad choice to rent to...
I am paralegal that works on a floor where there are many other offices and the receptionist (she’s like 40) gagged in disgust and twisted her face like a 5 year old when she saw my stretched ears and double nostril piercings. I told her “you’re showing your age.”
Something positive at least: I live in Denver and people are way too hyped about my piercings. Even when I went to the dentist, he was like “wow, you had added a lot more cool piercings”. It was an old white guy too, the last person I’d expect it from. Like bro you should be horrified I have cheek piercings😭
@@ragingdid yeah I'm not sure what all this discrimination talk is about. I've been in the industry for 30 years. This is like they're going back to the 90s and then transplanting what we went through in the 90s to now when old white doctors are complementing you I've had the exact same experience I'm covered in tattoos.
this is so sweet! at my dentist there's always a tech who loves to compliment my look and new hair/tattoos/piercings etc, and she's so kind, but there's also a tech opposite her who ALWAYS blames every dental problem i have on my philtrum piercing and writes on my chart that i was told to take it out every time lol
honestly the thing that got me into nursing was seeing a tattooed & pierced nurse when visiting someone at a children's hospital. I did not have any close contracts who were nurses,I truly didn't know what i was getting myself into. it worked out but it's the secret true reason I first chose nursing as a career.
I had no idea discrimination against people with modifications could go so far. I’m so sorry you and others have to go through this, it sounds horrible.
The first time I got hit with “drug seeking” was after I started stretching my ears. I ended up going to the ER one time and they found cannabis in my system, so without asking me they diagnosed me with a cannabis addiction. Later on this really started to affect me, to the point where pharmacists would regularly be rude to me, and when I had a major surgery that took months to recover they only prescribed me ibuprofen. Thank god I have a queer doctor and pharmacist now, actual lifesavers.
I remember when I was 16 and dyed my hair blue for the first time. It only lasted 2 weeks because my own grandmother bullied me so. I fried my hair bleaching the blue out because at that time I couldn’t handle it. Now I can. If she tried that now it wouldn’t bother me, but I was so sensitive and fragile back then…
I spent my early 20s thinking I was going to work in healthcare as a dental assistant. I’m now 30 and I’m on the career path to becoming a photographer/graphic artist. Younger me would never be able to have oral and facial piercings but current me has 4 very visible ones and even more less visible mods. A decades wait can be so worth it. And I’m still young and I still enjoy my piercings and knowing I’m going to look like this for the long haul and I’m so ready for my future as a heavily modified professional artist.
Border control can also be awful when youre visibly modified, a year ago an acquaintance was on a road trip with a band, and they stopped him and detained him for a day and a half because they thought he was using and smuggling. The guy had just been driving for 12 hours, he was just tired, but bc of body mods they thought otherwise. I always take out most of my jewelry for job interviews, leaving subtle jewelry in to see if they react to the piercings. When I have a job I switch to subtler jewelry during work hours just to avoid nonsense. It shouldnt be this way, bc how I look shouldnt dictate my employability, but unfortunately still plenty of progress to be made there. Gotta suffer a bit before I can switch to tattooing full time and worry about this less.
I worry about needing emergency medical care and having to rely on biased doctors and nurses to make medical decisions for me, even disregarding what I’d say in favor of their gut feeling.
youve put it into words much better than i ever could. im quite modified, i work with a lot of people in the 18-20 age range that are just starting to get tattoos or piercings and a lot come to me for questions and advice. im quite lucky to be in a workplace in my industry that is pretty lax on modifications, but for a lot of people this isnt what they want to be doing forever, and its hard to articulate some of the consequences of modifications, especially to people who are just so excited to get started. i never want to shoot people down, but i never want them to get blindsided about the real consequences of modifications. so i appreciate this video for helping me to find the language for it ! unless someone else warns you, that reality check can be so tough, and i dont want that for others if i can help. live out ur modification dreams! in an informed way !
I'm so grateful that, as a high school teacher, I'm free to modify myself as I want. Granted, I'm in California, but it's a really big plus for me. I have a lot of talks with students about mods that won't likely impact future prospects, so I really appreciate you putting out this video. Love your channel.
I had knuckle tats by the age of 17 and started piercing my face by 15. At job interviews i wear gloves or long sleeves which stay on the first few weeks if I get hired. I am now in academia and have gotten more extreme piercings as a grad student than ever before. I tell myself I can make them look very professional and classy, but I am also prepared to remove them if I have difficulty finding a good university position. I am a good scholar but have never fit in with the norm and am well aware I will have to work twice as hard on the job market despite having a PhD and years of qualifications. I am also holding off on more visible tattoos until I have a well established career.
some bars or nightclubs have a strict rule against wearing biker or gang colors or tattoos that might resemble a biker club membership as a preventive measure to keep peaceful conduct.
I remember when i got my first tattoo when i was 18, the tattoo artist gave me this really intense and serious look and explained about the stigma around visible tattoos and said that i shouldn't get the tattoo if i ever planned to work in short sleeves (it was an inner wrist tattoo.) I ended up getting the tattoo and i still love it over ten years later, but i still really appreciate that he took the time to warn me.
"We want to keep your tattoos covered" Do you KNOW how much those tattoos costed? Or what they could symbolize for someone?? The nerve... If I were the manager of that shop I'd be absolutely furious, I would have missed out on a pricey sale because of my employee's personal taste.
35 piercings and counting. Working as a paramedic dealing with the elderly. Luckily, iv never had a patient refuse me to treat them and they seem more interested now then judgemental. But the same patients have seen me outside of uniform and they have crossed the street 😅.
This really put a finger on why I have worried very little about how my body mods will affect how people perceive me. I’m already plus size and experience so much medical discrimination that it isn’t something that crossed my mind as an added issue because it’s already happening to me. I already know when people see me they make a judgement of my value based on how I look, so I’d rather look how I want to.
1:41 this discrimination is completely uncalled for, they wouldn’t get any of my business and I’d leave an awful review and make a post about their discrimination letting everyone know they’re against body art. I’ve yet to be discriminated against for my tats and piercings but if something like this were to happen they’d immediately be put in place.
I'm so sorry to hear what happened to your friend when he broke his leg. I work on an ambulance and it is insane that they refused him pain management for an open fracture, especially when even if he was drug-seeking he still should have been given enough pain medication to make him comfortable.
I'm a trans woman, so I already get stares and discrimination. I also have eight visible face piercings and a few less visible in places. Sometimes it's just hard to pick apart "Are they staring cause they clocked me?" or "Are they staring cause of all the metal in my face?" I work in medical care, and have sometimes had trouble getting work despite experience and recommendations from previous managers. I've noticed I have better luck when I wear a mask to interviews and keep it on. I don't know, maybe it's some other reason. But maybe it isn't.
I have chronic pain, i have to plan my outfits very VERY well and take off piercings or hide them before going to anything medical. I curl my hair to hide my gauges. My mom pushed me to dye my hair a natural red and i got a lot of nice comments but i also got horrible people who hate tattoos and modifications try to get closer to me with the hope that i was more normal. Clearly that didnt happen and ive since been cutting off those people, but it still sucks.
The wedding dress one is bizarre to me. Money is money, even if you don't like the choice I don't know why you'd reject purchase unless there were some functional concern. My best guess is they were concerned about brand image. Which I still think is ridiculous but it's at least a coherent reason.
I love that you made another video on this subject, I just watched your other one the other day. It’s something I’ve been experiencing a lot in the past year, since becoming heavily modified. I think going slowly into modifying your body, like you gave the example of waiting to get that hand tattoo and chest tattoo is really important when you are becoming heavily modified. Thank you so much!!!
I grew up around the local metal scene, I have vivid memories of my aunt getting ready for a job interview warring clothes and makeing shure her tattoos were hidden. I was so confused because it’s just a tattoo why would someone not hire you for something so small. People are literally just assholes little me, they are just weird assholes
i grew up in a very conservative, religious area & people treated me so inappropriately even when i only had colored hair/stretched ears/clothes to express myself. now years later i have more piercings & tattoos including my stretched septum. i'm lucky to work in an environment where there aren't any serious issues, just the occasional Trying To Be Nice But Ends Up Weird comment from older coworkers. but i'm afraid to see new medical providers, i've had so many awful experiences with doctors. already, i guess i have terrible luck with doctors being absolutely awful to me & now i have a self-imposed rule of always bringing my partner with me. there's just something so overwhelming & enraging about a doctor being dismissive & not helping me & on top of it all, being disrespectful, cruel & making weird/incorrect assumptions about my personal appearance choices. the choices that have done more good for my wellbeing & sense of peace than any doctor or mental health provider ever has.
@RedNymph234 as much as i can, but my insurance covers a small list of places to go so i'm always afraid of them retaliating & not having any alternate options. so far it seems like the most effective thing i can do is bring my partner with me bcos everyone is more hesitant to say something insane if i have a man with me, & giving them an exhaustive list of my piercing/tattoo care routine bcos they really seem to know nothing about it
I developed cellulitis this past weekend within my one dimple piercing. I'm 99% sure that my dirty makup brushes caused it (I don't usually wear makeup and was in a rush to do it, I've never experienced bad things with any of my piercings). I recieved horrible care at my Urgent Care as a result. The older doctor told me I'd have to take them out with a bad look on her face and gave me zero care instructions. I took Tylenol for a few days before a friend told me to double check if I could take it with my antibiotics. Turns out it makes them less effective. Living in a rural area is hell but I love myself so much more with my modifications
I absolutely love that you talk about the good and the bad, I only have 3 piercings, I want more and also some tattoos. I’m glad I’ve waited this long to get them, thanks for sharing✨
This is an amazing video and I wish more artists and piercers would advise young adults this way. I’ve been contemplating a lip piercing as I really want one, however I already get plenty of stares and comments simply for my septum piercing and colored hair. This is wonderful food for thought. 💜
I have zero regret about my chest tattoo but I always thought it was wild the artist that was doing it waited until HALFWAY through to ask if it was my first tattoo because while it was not it was the tattoo i noticed a difference in how people treated me
The rheumatologist wouldn’t touch me until I had blood tests because he was convinced I would simply be ill due to my tattoos causing something. Obviously they had not. I do however have fibromyalgia and EDS
My first uncomfortable experience due to my tattoos I was voting a few years back, my new polling place after getting a house is in a CCD school and as I was depositing my ballot this woman came up to my and lifted up my sleeve and started rubbing my arm and she said "oh did these hurt? Ah that actually probably the point huh?". Even though it wasn't necessarily as negative as a lot of people that discomfort will stick with me my whole life. People feel entitled to your body with modifications
I’m not especially visibly modified, but I have tattoos that are very visible with short sleeves, visible facial piercings, and dyed hair. even the “harmless” repercussions of being poked and prodded and grabbed can be so overwhelming. I’ve had so many strangers immediately think it’s appropriate to touch or grab me (including touching or grabbing healing piercings). Because I’m young, I’ve intentionally chosen to have modifications that i can easily cover up or hide, and even my “acceptable “ level of modification has put me in so many uncomfortable situations
your story about your straight edge friend is very impactful but even if he had a history of substance abuse disorder it would still be bullshit to only give him tylenol for a broken leg. addicts still experience real pain too
I agree with everything you said 🥰 Never had a “negative” experience but while having my baby girl they thought my husband was my boyfriend and the Door Dasher on two separate occasions 🤣 We’re both decently tattooed with stretched lobes and piercings.
It's wild even health care judging you by your appearance, never heard of that before... It's heartbreaking, honestly. There are some very extreme body mods that scare the shit out of me, but we should really normalize piercings and most tattoos (I don't think discriminating tattoos are okay, that's why I said most).
I've been refused entry at some bars because of looks (just piercings, no tattoos; and maybe a slightly weird hairstyle).. and that was already not ok. But people touching you? What is wrong with people? I'm not touching other peoples arms to see if they're really that muscular either. Maybe we should just start with that, and not touch people without permission
I’m 30, white, chronically ill and I have 3 small-medium tattoos and I have had a septum piercing, I’ve also dyed my hair at various points in my life, I don’t have more modifications because 1) I don’t have the money for it and b) I’m worried about the discrimination I might face when I’m already facing some. I appreciate your point of view and I’m glad to see some people are warning a younger generation about the risks
Your videos are always spot on. This is a really important conversation that needs to happen more often. I am 18 years old and I got my first facial piercing a few months ago after wanting it for years (it was my septum by the way). I will definitely continue to think through every modification I get and how it will affect my life. As always, thank you for such a great and informative video.
Do you know your friend could have sued I believe for them saying that they thought he was drug seeking. But I want to share this with you. I’m almost 60-year-old white male with no visible tattoos. Or piercings. And I was in excruciating pain From Lyme disease. And even after being diagnosed officially with the bacteria in my bloodstream. The doctors would not give me anything for the pain. Privately, they explained to me that it was because of the opioid crisis, and the fact that many medical professional still aren’t recognizing Lyme disease as a real thing?! Lol, this was really shocking to me because I was treated like someone who was drug seeking. So what did I do? Learn how to make my own painkillers for when or if I need them.
I think I should add to this conversation by saying that those of us already facing discrimination before walking in for modification don't want to experience another professional removing what little autonomy we have over ourselves. While I understand wanting to protect ones' professional reputation as well as the continued desire to not lose sleep over being a part of others being discriminated against. Denying people the right to do with their bodies that they want can have its own severe consequences for clients. I've been afraid to approach a tattoo artist because I am disabled, fat, mentally ill, queer, pink hair, and facial piercings. I want to be taken seriously not treated like a child incapable of making their own judgment calls. Which means if I want hand tattoos, I should be able to get them. I shouldn't have to spend thousands of dollars tattooing my body elsewhere to "prove" anything to anyone. Especially since I don't have the money to be doing all that prior to the tattoos I want most. It's a highly privileged position to expect someone to be in. People are going to hate me no matter what I do. I'd rather live my life the way I want to live it while I can. Especially since there are so many ways to get around dress codes. Makeup, clothes, ect.
@@TaintedSoulSilver I absolutely don’t disagree with giving people the autonomy over their body. I think for me my ethical questions arise when someone who is freshly 18, no facial piercings, no other tattoos, no dyed hair etc comes in wanting their hands or throat tattooed. It’s when I have a 16 year old asking me to do 0g nostrils on them. That was my inspiration to make this video- for very young folks who haven’t experienced the discrimination and the discomfort yet and who, thanks to social media, believe it doesn’t really exist or not as severely as we warn people it does. I personally get a lot of flack for offering piercings others don’t (such as cheeks or large gauge work) that does carry a heavier social stigma. I believe my clients have a right to choose to get these piercings done. I ALSO believe that informed consent includes a conversation about the social impact and repercussions of getting this kind of work done. Hence- making this video.
The thing is autonomy goes both ways. Nobody can stop you from getting any modification you want but they can say they don't want to be the one to do certain modifications.
Ya know, ever since the ongoing covid pandemic, I think I'd feel okay getting piercings on my face, at least below the nose, because my respirator will hide it. This is still all something I need to think about however, and it makes me realize the tattoo I want to get behind my ear, well there's a good reason I'm hesitating and really thinking it over 🌸
ive had a lot of comments about my appearance when i worked at a hardware store. most of the time it was obviously about my piercings, but i also have a facial difference. so there were definitely times where it was unclear if they were talking about my visible disability, or my piercings.
I live in a small town (for now, thanks god I'm moving soon!) and I have to deal with all kinds of comments all the time, for years now, especially because I have colorful hair for like half of my life. I have to deal with weird comments like ''what a pokemon, weirdo, freak'' etc or old people staring at my tattoos and saying ''why did she destroyed her body like that'' and other type of things. I'm pretty much used to it because it happens so often I ignore this comments most of the time. But sometimes it hurts, especially if I go to the damn grocery store to buy bread and people look at me in the weird way. Just leave me alone, my god.. I'm just a human, the same human like you all. It's just.. tiring. Sorry for my English, it's not my first language!
@verynormalvic thinking about getting tattoos and piercings as well, and I'm sure unsure... but I will figure out what I want to be and look like in time :). Be patient w yourself!
I'm convinced I got profiled because of my blue hair, tattoos, and few piercings. After I had a C-section they refused to give me proper pain medicine. I'm allergic to ibuprofen so I couldn't take that, which only left me with Tylenol. TWO DAYS after a major abdominal surgery the nurses told me I had to go home taking regular Tylenol at the dosage on the bottle. So after a huge surgery I was supposed to take the same medicine my husband would for a mild headache. They kept staring at my tattoos, which normally I assume people are just curious what they are, but the way they treated me makes me wonder. Ironically I am also straight edge, and I don't even drink caffeine while pregnant. I had to beg for pain medicine and even when the ob granted the prescription, the nurses literally wouldn't bring it in when I asked because I was hours overdue for any pain management.
Refreshing to see someone talk about it. I didn’t know how I felt about piercings and tattoos, I never thought about the social repercussions. I showed my little brother my dream setup and he said “aren’t you worried about getting that second job” and I honestly hadn’t even thought about it. I already get treated very badly and just didn’t consider things could possibly get worse. Hearing everyone’s stories in the comments made me realize just how ignorant I’d been to my image because I already knew to blindside it 😅 very important video. I love this community I just wish I had more like us in my local area. I’m second guessing my piercing setup now because I’m an anxious and paranoid person. I don’t know if I could deal with getting stared at more or treated even worse. And this is coming from a highly feminine person with short hair, that’s already enough to put people off 🤷 society has truly went down the drain.
Maybe it's because I've lived in Vegas for 30 years, Sin City capital of the world, that I don't see a lot of discrimination and hate regarding piercings and tats. My brother-in-law is heavily tattooed, but he's a gentle giant. He's had two deployments with the military and is well- respected and liked. I have cartilage piercings and facial piercings and don't get looked at funny. Hell, my urologist even has a helix piercing and a nose ring. We here in Vegas are very open-minded.
The cognitive dissonance is insane, any human, addict or not, would be “seeking drugs” if they had a bad headache, never mind A BROKEN BONE STICKING OUT OF THEM And these are meant to be well educated professionals 🤦🏽
Thank you for this. I don't consider myself heavily modified but I know a lot of people see me that way and I've been working from home for a few years. Really really want new piercings but have been concerned about when I try to work outside the home again and this very conversation has been on my mind.
I'm lucky enough to live in a country where all civil servants and public employees like me are hired only on the basis of their CV, experience and access exam (think like the bar exam for lawyers). I have facial piercings and hand and neck tattoos as a high school teacher and it's fantastic. However, I have experienced discrimination and have had to dye my hair a natural color + hide tattoos & piercings to rent an apartment, for example. Prejudice is sadly a reality even when legislation is supposed to protect you against it!
Yeah I live in a country where we're supposed to be hired based only on our CV...but, we're dreaming if we think there's no employment discrimination, not just about tats or piercings, but our weight, age, skin color, gender, marital status etc. And there's really no way to enforce fair treatment, because there's no way to prove the discrimination against you.
I almost never see this talked about and i feel like its a v important observation to this topic, discrimination against body mods is deeply rooted in white supremacy and colonialism.
I'm just about to turn 22 and Australian. I have several piercings in my nose and ears (planning to stretch my ears), dye and cut my hair myself frequently, shave the tails of my eyebrows off, and have tattoos. Thankfully, I work in a place that's very accepting of my self-expression. I'm so lucky that, in my case, my experience and my skill has held more weight than my appearance. But I will never forget the looks I've gotten from my own family for getting body mods. I've been told so many times that I'm putting my career at risk because of how I look. I don't even have very visible tattoos. I won't say that I haven't been judged for my body mods, I've had others in my workplace comment on my piercings and tattoos. I haven't experienced medical discrimination, but with my family's medical history, I won't be surprised if it happens one day. I like to think that in some ways it's getting better, but I'm still so careful about what I get out of fear of the impact it will have.
I have been accused of being an addict/drug seeking before and I assumed it was because I was so thin and tired looking following a surgery. It honestly hadn’t occurred to me that my tattoos might have played a part in that as well but they totally could have. It was a therapist, and she would not let the question go when I told her no, I wasn’t using anything other than what I was prescribed. She called me a liar and pushed me until I snapped and walked out in tears.
I’ve been immensely lucky that I’ve mostly had positive interactions (and even encouragement at my office job) about my unnatural hair, alternative style, and tattoos (I have 9 ear piercings (4 r, 5 l) and am working on stretching my lobes a little (my goal is just 1cm (00g)), but my ears don’t get noticed very often). It makes me so sad and definitely a little scared to hear about people having really bad interactions just because they’ve chosen to look a way some parts of society doesn’t like. I’m also non-binary and queer and neurodivergent, and looking alt and modified and nerdy is both to help me feel more at home in my own skin and to signal to other folks that we might have things in common. 😊 Also, also, I’ve known since I was 4 (currently 32), I wanted to be heavily tattooed so I wasn’t about to let social repercussions stop me…I am glad I didn’t start my tattoo journey right when I turned 18, but I also kind of wish I’d started a little earlier than 30 🤷
37 female here- I love the way you presented this. With 2 full sleeves and now hand tattoos (AFTER I became an established teacher), I have worked in plenty of fields. BUT- where I have experienced encounters like this are in the medical industry (had my galbladder removed- was refused pain meds at the pharmacy!) and shopping at the grocery- I literally was followed around and accused of stealing multiple times in the same Publix!!! I also believe tho that the more people who get modified, the less problematic overall it has been. Agreed 100% you have to have a thick skin!
I have never been seriously dicriminated against, but I tend to get a LOT of comments on my appearance having piercings, tattoos, and colorful hair. Most of the feedback is positive (although I'm not always in the mood to have my appearance commented on period), but after being visibly modified for about 3 years I have had two discriminatory experiences and they both stuck with me. The first, a few years ago, I was working a retail job, and a customer tapped me on the shoulder to ask for help. I turned around and asked what I could help them with. Then they saw my face, said "nevermind" and walked away. The second, more recently, I was working a different retail job. A customer walked in and I greeted him in the most friendly and normal way possible, but he stopped dead in his tracks, stared at my face and said, "What happened to your nose??" I told him it had been pierced, and he said "You've gotta take that shit out, man. It's a waste of time." After that he refused to let me help him even though I wasn't busy and the only other person working there was my boss who was busy closing the store, and eventually had to tell him to leave. For me, being modified is definitely more than worth having experiences like these. It's just annoying how many complete strangers feel entitled to comment on your appearance when you look different from the norm (which I already get enough of from being visibly trans.)
I'm glad you made this. I have a few tattoos myself and I want to have more in the future. Everytime I want a tattoo, I have this anxiety about how I'm going to be seen, especially work/medical settings. I also have a friend who does piercings and tattoos, and he comes from a more isolated part of my country (almost in the mountains). Both he and a librarian I used to work with (who worked in a seaside town), told me the same thing: old people look at them like they shouldn't be doing the jobs they're doing. My friend also told me his costumers can also be gang members and dangerous people, so you never know who walks into your saloon. But it doesn't always have to be dangerous people. Also I read blogs from tattooed people saying that if you have visible tattoos, most people say you're not obedient at work, or if you work customer service you look menacing. There also people who think tattoos are cool, but they are few and far between. It could be that in bigger cities is more widely accepted that people have tattoos, but still it's not completely accepted.
I’m a doctor and had to take off my eyebrow, septum and tongue piercing to be taken seriously. Otherwise ever since med school, I’ve been told I haven’t been serious about my degree because of my body modifications. I also full undershirts under my scrubs to cover my arms which are tattooed cos of the awful amount of discrimination you go through. It’s not just with body modified patients, doctors do that with other doctors too. It sucks overall
My father said if you get modified it is my decision I just should think about placement that would not interfere with my professional life. It depends so much on the sector you are working in. It is still something I consider every single time when I get a new tattoo done.
My tattoos are all easily covered by a t shirt and pt shorts but ive noted very often how people treat me differently both good and bad when someone sees/finds out. You meet someone, know them for a day or year, and then go to the pool or something and *bam*
I'm Black, living in America. Don't see how tattoos can make discrimination any worse for me. I've been followed around a store before. May as well ride the ride looking how I choose to look in a way that reflects my spirit. I do see her point on hand and face tattoos. I've known what I want for a face tattoo for three years. Still not established enough to do it.
exactly lol they're gonna judge me regardless idgaf
Discrimination happens for a lot of reasons but at least you have some legal protections when it happens on the basis of being in a protected class.
Not only does that not apply to body modification it can act as a shield for discrimination caused by other, less legal, reasons.
Illogical. Giving people more incentives to find you undesirable does you no flavors. Dressing respectively and keeping a wholesome appearance vastly increases the odds of attracting quality people.
I’m as white as a person can be. And I’ve been followed around a drugstore by a security guard. I heard the cashier tell him to follow me.
Sounds like you actively hunted.
Other commentors here are already saying but it isn't a coincidence that the most heavily modified people I know IRL already belong to marginalized groups and have been excluded/discriminated from society even when they presented in normal, socially accepted ways. I remember being 16, identifying as a cis girl at the time, and chatting with my trans friend about tattoos. I asked him if he had considered that having tattoos would make seeking employment harder, and he told me "well, nobody will hire me because I'm trans, so tattoos won't change anything." It stuck with me a lot.
yeah I wonder if it's the piercings and ink or the melanin in my skin....
Reminds me of the times I showed up to interviews with SIX years experience in the company/field (with management experience), and they still didn't hire me. The only reason I can think of that they wouldn't want me for the job is because I'm visibly trans. SIX YEARS EXPERIENCE means nothing apparently!!!
@@katyungodly it's 99% the fact that you're trans. i have plenty of trans friends who are overqualified for the positions they're applying for and are the perfect candidates and everything goes well until they have to out themselves bc their paperwork isn't changed. then oops! that position has suddenly been filled
Yeah I definitely often have a "well people are gonna do this anyways so yolo ig" mentality.
To an extent, that's true but you can still make an already disadvantaged situation even more difficult. If there's already a significant group of people who won't hire you (through no fault of your own) in the best of circumstances why do things to intentionally shrink that pool even further?
I have zero modifications, I got zero tattoos, no piercings, no hairdye, nothing. But whenever I see a person that looks like you, I always think how cool it is that people like that aren't afraid to be themselves, I immediatly like them a bit more only for the way that they choose to look. When people meet me they probably think I look kinda boring, but I *love* art in any form and I love individualism. People that look like you are often one of the best people I have ever met. It's unfortunate that in 2024 there's still people who think so black and white about these things. I hope it'll get better in the future.
me too. i have nothing but people filled with tattoos are so cool to me. i’m a woman so i especially admire other women with bad ass tattoos or alternative haircuts, they look so cool.
When I was getting my sleeve, I said I'm happy to go right down to my wrist. My artist then asked me what I do for work, I said games development, and then he was like "yep that's great then, won't cause you any trouble". He took the time to check, and I appreciated it.
@@360crazycoco it’s little conversations like this that we should be having with our clients!
I personally never got to a stage in life where my tats would aeriously affect my job; but also if a company is going to want to control what i do with my body in my life during my freee time theyd have to he paying me a HELL of a lot of money 😂
Oof, i would personally regard a doctor commenting on how attractive a patient is or should be as highly inappropriate, to a degree that i would consider contacting their licensing association's ethics board.
As a nurse with light tattoos and piercings who has the great fortune of working at a place that lets us be quite modified, the idea of withholding pain medication from someone with a broken femur makes me want to fight those providers. My personal pain relief theory is that people who DO use dr*gs regularly need more pain relief, not less, because they are habituated to it. My job is not to judge people or gatekeep pain relief. My job is to advocate for my patients. If you're in pain, I'm on your side. And any nurse or doctor with half a brain should know that a broken femur is THE TIME for hardcore pain meds, whether you're straight edge or a serious addict.
The problem is that there does come a point where the amount of drugs someone in that situation might need becomes unsafe in and of itself.
Bless you, you are going to work with a far kinder mentality than many nurses and your patients are extremely lucky they have you
‘Alternaphobia’ has been a reportable hate crime in the city where I live since a girl was beaten to death and her boyfriend left brain damaged when they were attacked in a park for being goths.
wow. Sorry for asking, but is this city in the US? My country, Brazil, recognizes many -phobias as hate crimes as well (like homophobia, racism, transphobia and mysogyny), but alternaphobia is not one of them, even though we have one of the largest populations with body modifications in the world (my brother, for instance, has 80% of his body covered in tats, and he talks about how people mistreat other people with visibile body modifications). I have seen and heard of people who have not been hired, although they had all the qualifications, because they had visible piercings and tattoos... It's a shame we still have to deal with this in the 21st century... We should treat alternaphobia as a hate crime too, because it is one.
@@animalunaris Sophie Lancaster. God I remember learning about her in year 9. It was horrific to even think about
@@profrbravo in the Northern U.K.
@@animalunaristhe world should follow your city's example.
which city it is? Is it in NZ/Britan/Australia?
Being visibly trans is already modified enough for me to get looks. I’m not sure people even notice the piercings 😂
Same 😂❤
im the opposite 😭 since i got a big chest tattoo i feel less anxious because i just assume people are looking at my tattoos and not clocking me
For real 😂😭
This is so real
You might be onto something-people often wait until they realize I'm not a "scary trans person!" and that I'm actually a very quiet, shy, but friendly person before they feel comfy enough to start asking about my piercings haha
I was a teenager and was nearly killed because I had internal bleeding and they thought it was all an act and that I was drug seeking. I was left to bleed out for hours screaming from convulsions so intense my abdominal muscles tore themselves apart. I had abdominal separation as a 19 year old boy as though I were a pregnant woman all because of their decision that i was drug seeking.
They did no diagnostic tests until I was coding. Then they discovered the massive bleed and that they did not have my blood type.
I died in transit to the next hospital. Thankfully I it was as they were bringing me inside. I woke up the next day talking to a surgeon who did not understand why I waited so long to go to the ER.
They lied and said I just didn't come in until right when I was coding. All of those nurses got together and lied on their charts about when I first entered their care.
This is entirely the fault of our healthcare workers trying to play moralist BS. Who cares if a few random junkies get some drugs from them. Are they really going to let the rest of us suffer and die just so they can feel like they "won" and were not tricked by an addict?
There is no practical reason anyone should be denied medical care even if they believe that person is drug seeking. Just do the diagnostic due diligence.
Im a transgender man and my body mods are a direct expression of my gender. I've known for a long time that I want to be 90% covedred in tats and piercings, split tongue etc. For me its hard to talk about the hate I get for my modifications without it tying into transphobia. LIke getting body mods is gender affirming for me personally, but as I'm disabled and poor it does make a lot of people view my in a certain light.
@@m0ss_.m4n the intersection of this is so tough. My mods are also very much a part of my gender expression, and the fact that I work in the damn piercing industry and am still hesitant to get a lot of the work I want because it does effect how clients view you and if they want to get work from you is. It sucks.
What’s crazy to me is that modifications for self expression are villainised and discriminated against, but not like… the plastic surgery modifications moving the goalpost to the naturally unattainable. 😟
Thank you for saying this! It's so true.
my mom overheard an ER doctor tell a colleague “she’s fine. She just wants more attention as if she doesn’t get enough looking like that as is” only to have me crash not even an hour later because I very clearly was not fine. I wasn’t nearly as modified as I am now either. We’re not gatekeeping we just want you to understand this isn’t just weird stares and unwarranted comments from strangers, it’s systemic and it’s something you shouldn’t do on a whim without lots of thought.
@@alysonhostetter8236 this 👏🏼
@@alysonhostetter8236 but also ugh I’m so sorry that happened to you. I swear ERs can be the worst
I feel like we can guarantee that you would have not had that treatment if you were male. that’s so sad. when a guy is modified, he’s cool and badass. for a woman, it’s attention seeking.
I wouldn't go that far. There is definitely still a stimga over visibly modified men in many quarters.
This is such an interesting topic. You don’t even have to look *that* alternative to see a big difference in how you’re treated.
Some time ago I cut my long natural hair short and bleached it along with my eyebrows. And *so* many people in positions of power (as little power as an event security guard) suddenly get so uppity and comfortable being rude.
It’s a good reminder of how fragile the protection you get from looking mainstream acceptable truly is. If you become disabled, if you gain weight, if you’re neurodivergent in a noticeable way, a switch flips.
And as for people whose basic respect hinges on how you look: that respect is worthless, so you might as well sus them out to avoid them in the future.
When I had my septum done I got plenty of comments from older people (shocking) about how I got a "fish hook caught in my face". I had a total of three piercings at the time, lobes and septum. Now I no longer have the septum but I have the lobes, two nostrils, two conches, and a triple helix and have yet to receive any comments. It really just depends on the piercing I guess.
i’m 22 and entering the real adult world this year, i have five tattoos and two very visible facial piercings. not ONCE have i been warned about the implications of them before this video. i knew there was a social stigma, but not to the extent you’ve described here. honestly, im sickened that none of my artists warned me. thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience, i wish this was something people talked about more.
@@rock_garden_m same here as somebody about to turn 21. I already have five facial piercings and tattoos on my shoulder and sternum that I got at 18 and 19. Nobody told me anything
That's SHOCKING to me. I couldn't talk about a nose piercing wothout hearing it and I'm not even a decade older than you.
@@ironman_546same I never heard the end of how even dyed hair made me look like “a crack whore”
IMO it’s a rural thing. City people usually don’t care AS much, but they can still be weird too depending on where you are.
@@EepyHarmony you would be surprised, i lived in the bay area/sf for ten years up until last year, last job i was a manager and the owner of my store frequently turned away applicants in desperate times away just because they werent "normal" enough. it probably depends on the company, but even from people i knew around the area they were either stuck at a job because no one would hire them, or got piercings/ dyed hair a few months into their job, then basically were stuck. the world is very discriminatory no matter where you are
i have 38 facial piercings + a 12mm septum and i wish i could talk about this to a larger audience. i understand why people stare, its not a common sight especially not rural south US. but lately its been affecting me more, i just dont get how im the weird one when theyre the ones yelling at, touching, following, threatening, laughing at, and sneaking pictures at a stranger whos just tryna get groceries lol
My recommendation is to leave the southern rural US. My life instantly got better when I left rural Alabama, the people there are just icky and immoral.
Geez idk, maybe because you look like marilyn manson
@@Anthonybrother how does that make people touching them or yelling at them more normal when they're just walking down a grocery aisle? Are you a wild animal or something with no ability to just shrug at someone with metal hanging off them and keep walking?
@@Anthonybrother so that gives people the right to harass her? You're sounding so dumb lol
@@Anthonybrother seek meaningful connections with friends and find a hobby. Trying to start pointless fights on youtube is not a hobby.
My arms are heavily tattooed. Last year, I had appendicitis and was sent home from the ER with Tylenol three times. By the time they finally admitted me into the hospital, my appendix had ruptured and I was in kidney failure.
Jesus Christ how could stuff like this happen!? It's ridiculous!! You could have died!!
😮🫂
Jfc. That's horrifying. I'm so sorry. I hate that this kind of shit happens so often it just fills me with impotence. Medical neglect is apparently the norm
Time to sue them all into losing their medical licenses and poverty over that level of incompetence and malpractice. You can find a lawyer who will work pro bono because you're both gonna get a large payout over that one- their bigotry could have killed you.
Thank you for the supportive comments, everybody. It means a lot. The experience made me feel very alone and unheard. So, thank you. 🫶
I got married 20 years ago to my wonderful husband and had tats, facial piercings and stretched ears, 20mm at the time, now 30mm and my husband, who has no tattoos nor piercings, got people asking what he saw in me and he would defend me and say I'm a beautiful soul with art on her body. Plus I'm a nurse, have been for 15 years, I get more compliments than judgments and my job allows my stretched lobes as long as I wear plugs not tunnels.
My cheek piercings are turning 10 this December. My piercer didn’t go into nearly this much detail-he just said “come back tomorrow if you really want them.” I had two small tattoos and only ear piercings at that time, and my dumb early-20s ass took it as a challenge. I did go back the next day and I’m SO GLAD I did; for a long time these piercings were the only thing that made me like myself at all.
I’ve been really lucky to have experienced almost NO discrimination because of my piercings. I worked as a paralegal for several years, and was later told that I was hired because my “alternative look” made me more relatable for our clients. I now work in animal rescue, so piercings and tattoos are the norm. Most people ask “did those hurt?” or “how does that work?” and I’m happy to have that conversation a million times AND at the same time tell them how I was swollen and looked like a chipmunk for a year and that they’re very difficult piercings. One precious 1st grader asked “do you have nails in your face? 😮” The public has always been kind and interested, and I live in a very conservative state.
Where I DO experience discrimination is tattoo/piercing shops. I went back to the shop I got them done at to buy shorter bars (the ONLY place within two hours drive that carried internally threaded jewelry), and they wouldn’t allow me to buy any at first. They demanded to know where I had them done and I told them it was there, and gave them the name of my piercer. They said “oh that makes sense he’s not here anymore” and offered to “look at” my piercings and put in shorter bars for me. I trusted them. They decided one side “didn’t need a shorter bar” and put in a bar on the other side that was both too short AND a size up…the pain from unknowingly stretching it was insane and I changed back to the old bar immediately when I got home. I won’t step foot in that shop EVER again.
A year ago I realized I’m trans. I’m honestly a lot more worried about the public’s perception of my transness than I’ve ever been about my piercings or tattoos. I know I’m an outlier and I truly don’t mean to discount your takes! Just….wanted to remind everyone that intersectionality is a thing too. A lot of people are discriminated against for things that aren’t chosen like body mods are. Bigots gonna bigot…I just want to enjoy my flesh suit. 🤷
My dude I cannot tell you how LUCKY you were with that paralegal job, my kudos to you and I'm really glad you had that experience. My mom is a paralegal and luckily for her is not alternative at all, and she's told me how old fashioned and bigoted most of the attorneys she's worked for are. She's heard the nasty comments they make about even just a nose stud. These are also the same attorneys that literally don't know how to turn their own computers on.
@SRHtheHedgehog For sure! I also had brightly colored hair lol. Part of it was the practice area as well-the attorneys I worked with specialized in family law representing victims of DV, consumer debt defense, and chapter 7 bankruptcy, and during Covid we did a bunch of pro bono work for tenants in eviction cases. We were always on the side of the “little guy” so that played a huge part in the accepting nature of my workplace. The nasty, greedy dinosaurs were all on the other side of the aisle. I loved forging working relationships with opposing counsel via email/phone correspondence and then seeing the shock on their face when I approached with my attorneys to introduce myself before a hearing. Decorum required them to be kind to my face and I know it really ate at several of them. 🤭
I have no tattoos, no mods.
I have two rare disorders that are known to be very painful, and I have been denied pain meds- didn’t even get Tylenol, after a serious car accident.
The first time one on my disorders appeared, my hands swelled up like baseball gloves. The ER doc said to my face “I think you’re on opioids” He ordered a drug test on me, and of course it was negative.
A lot of people in pain are treated like crap and denied pain mgmt.
That’s the way it is now.
I’ve been referred to 3 pain mgmt. clinics.
I'm neurodivergent, disabled, trans and modded. It's been a strange journey so far.
When i started getting modded, i didn't plan ahead, i wasn't even sure if I'd make it to 18. But i knew it gave me a feeling of self-empowerment, that I've never felt before. I felt like I'm in control of my body and the way i look for the first time in my life.
Now I'm 27. I've medically transitioned since, gotten a couple more tattoos, retired 6 of my 10 piercings and I look a lot more "normal" now...not sure if i like it.
I do know the price of being modded now...since i retired most of my piercings, people are nicer to me, i get more opportunities, i seem more trustworthy to people.
It's quite a trip, seeing the way people perceive me shift so drastically through different genders and stages of being modified.
I definetly want to get more mods and also some heavier ones in the future (full body tattoos, split tongue, maybe some cuttings and more piercings), but I'm definetly gonna wait until i have a sturdy job...
Thanks for talking about this. One thing i find fascinating as a more heavily modded person is that people only get into my face about my mods as soon as my hair color is unnatural as well. I normally get my hair done in balayage blonde but i dabbled into some semi-permanent haircoloring in the past and as soon as my hair was pink, purple, blue etc. i got very rude comments and reactions about my apperance. With my blonde hair i seem to appear more capable or they don't want to go the "i gonna scream to you in public"-route bc i might scream back and get some people on my side as well... Also different outfits make a huge difference. If i dress for work (no strict dresscode, but i like to go for business casual) people don't comment on my looks at all. It sucks that that's the way to get around it apparently and maybe it's also different for other countries but it works here at least (Germany, Europe). I want to end on a good note: Since i'm more heavily and visibly modded i get the attention of more queer folks and less attention from conservative, white cis-men - which i appreciate A LOT! 🤣
I'm a male preschool teacher. I was close to 40 before I started getting visible tattoos and facial piercings. Even with as much security as my experience gives me at my job I am very aware of the tightrope I'm walking for how much I get done.
As someone who just turned 22 and got angel fangs, this got to me, I'd been wanting these for so long that I thought I could finally get them, and I love them so much already, they make me feel at home, but I can't help but think every time about how much less employable I seem now. I already only get jobs when they couldn't see my face most of the time. However, I bought the ticket, and I will ride the ride, but I wish it was going to be a smoother one.
I used to work in public health and epidemiology of substance abuse and harm reduction. I am so tired of alternative, poc and lgbt people (especially alternative and/or lgbt indigenous people, going to the hospital can be outright risky here in Canada where i live) beinf accused of drug seaking when very obviously hurt. Drug seaking happens and 9/10 doctors cannot accurately describe how this normally looks. Im not going to describe it to not trigger anyone but its not people breakinf their leg, dealing with an osteosurgeon isn't anyones plan on getting their fix. Also even if someone is a drug user, if they are in pain they are in pain. If they have obviously broken bones still deserve to be treated like a damn person and have their pain treated. There should be people working there qualified to help people wirh sustance abuse disorders choose rhe best pain management for them. The reality is forcing someone with broken bones to not take anything is more likely to result in relapse than carefully and respectfully making a plan together. And if someone is legitimately confused at being accused of taking drugs than odds are they are confused. Most of the time people in recovery will deny pain meds because they know thats not worth it for them and they also should have that respected. Taking away autonomy from people in a medical crisis isn't gonna help anyone, ever, and there is data to back this up.
Bruh i had a snowboardinf accident 2 years ago, went to 11 seperate doctors (out those 11 3 of which were chiropractors) and always got a weird "checkup" that didnt adress my issues at all, always would say theyre "not prescribing me anything" the entire time i didnt even WANR meds just tonlnow whats wrong with my back
I gave up when j couldnt afford health insurance, but im pretty sure its due to my neck tat of goofy rollin a cigarette; they just assumped i wanted drugs and refused to do any real tests on me every time, i asked for back x rays every time and still have never gotten any.
Genuinely fuck doctors that do this; they just assume theyre right and refuse to treat a patient depaerately needing help. Theyre jokes.
I’m wondering what the standard for tattoos and piercing are in the PH/epidemiology industry? I’m a PH student who wants a small neck tattoo and hand tattoos and dyed hair but I’m worried about the implications for job searching.
@Sars51723 honestly, i suggest going to clinics (the epidermidist clinics, not the tattoo ones) and asking the workers there themselves what THEY think. A LOT of this comes down to what kind of tattoo and area as well. I, personally, know 3 seperate nurse's and a few doctors with neck tattoos- but most people wouldnt know it, somehow most people miss MY neck tatttoo and mine takes up a quarter of my neck...but really, ypur area and local clinica might be good with it they might not! This also comes down to the CLIENTS of the area; as i know from expierence some areas with....older demographics tend to struggle with people with tats and piercings in at the work place.
But ive worked all arpund the us, uve traveled for fun rehab and work on every coast and mountain i could; and youd be surprised. In rehab, 3 of the psychiatrists had tats on all over! In some sober livings, the social workers had a forehead tattoo (that was in texas) and back home in the midwest my cousins a nurse and has a neck tat and an eyebrow piercing; but i also knoa this HAS caused issues with some of them findign employement. Some places are for it, some arent; i personally would rather live my life and if my job has to change its whatever but theres places that are very accepting snd some that arent; dont go overboard some bodymods are cute and endearing; others make some people think you worship satan
"drug seeking" is the stupidest phrase a medical person ever says. Even if the person is "drug seeking".... So what? People have seeked drugs since before Moses.
It's absolutely ridiculous when the guy had a severely broken leg. Like...he's not faking the bone sticking out of his leg!! How are doctors so utterly irrational and gross about that crap!!
What do people think you go to the doctor for? A pep talk? You go for medicine. It would be like me calling everyone who walks into a store a glutton for coming to buy groceries instead of coming to chat. 🙄
@@RedNymph234 some people do actually injure themselves to get more drugs, but the fact remains that their leg is STILL BROKEN. Also i don't think making someone go into shock is the right way to force them out of a drug addiction anyways...so many things wrong with it.
Literally!! Also if someone actually broke their bone to seek drugs (which is just ridiclous to assume).. they still need treatment!! DUH.
@@SRHtheHedgehog Yep. Anyone who is hurting themselves for drugs is severely mentally ill and probably needs way more care than the average person anyway. The lunacy!
I’ve had some people change their minds about getting a hand tattoo after having a conversation about how they can be difficult to heal/probably need touch ups/will age fast due to wear and tear. I think the reality of having a tattoo in a super visible spot that might not look perfect forever is also something that people who are not heavily tattooed may not consider.
I am visibly modified. I don't do drugs. I am a childrens teacher and work at a Kindergarten. I am having the hardest time ever to find a flat/apartment to live in. Once they see me, they are convinced I am big into parties and drugs and would be a bad choice to rent to...
I am paralegal that works on a floor where there are many other offices and the receptionist (she’s like 40) gagged in disgust and twisted her face like a 5 year old when she saw my stretched ears and double nostril piercings. I told her “you’re showing your age.”
That's funny considering I'm 42, most Millennials & Gen Xers are fine with those things. Must be the odd one out.
Something positive at least: I live in Denver and people are way too hyped about my piercings. Even when I went to the dentist, he was like “wow, you had added a lot more cool piercings”. It was an old white guy too, the last person I’d expect it from. Like bro you should be horrified I have cheek piercings😭
@@ragingdid yeah I'm not sure what all this discrimination talk is about. I've been in the industry for 30 years. This is like they're going back to the 90s and then transplanting what we went through in the 90s to now when old white doctors are complementing you I've had the exact same experience I'm covered in tattoos.
this is so sweet! at my dentist there's always a tech who loves to compliment my look and new hair/tattoos/piercings etc, and she's so kind, but there's also a tech opposite her who ALWAYS blames every dental problem i have on my philtrum piercing and writes on my chart that i was told to take it out every time lol
honestly the thing that got me into nursing was seeing a tattooed & pierced nurse when visiting someone at a children's hospital. I did not have any close contracts who were nurses,I truly didn't know what i was getting myself into. it worked out but it's the secret true reason I first chose nursing as a career.
I had no idea discrimination against people with modifications could go so far. I’m so sorry you and others have to go through this, it sounds horrible.
The first time I got hit with “drug seeking” was after I started stretching my ears. I ended up going to the ER one time and they found cannabis in my system, so without asking me they diagnosed me with a cannabis addiction. Later on this really started to affect me, to the point where pharmacists would regularly be rude to me, and when I had a major surgery that took months to recover they only prescribed me ibuprofen. Thank god I have a queer doctor and pharmacist now, actual lifesavers.
I remember when I was 16 and dyed my hair blue for the first time. It only lasted 2 weeks because my own grandmother bullied me so. I fried my hair bleaching the blue out because at that time I couldn’t handle it. Now I can. If she tried that now it wouldn’t bother me, but I was so sensitive and fragile back then…
Society is so suffocatingly conformist... I'm sorry that happened to you
I spent my early 20s thinking I was going to work in healthcare as a dental assistant. I’m now 30 and I’m on the career path to becoming a photographer/graphic artist. Younger me would never be able to have oral and facial piercings but current me has 4 very visible ones and even more less visible mods. A decades wait can be so worth it. And I’m still young and I still enjoy my piercings and knowing I’m going to look like this for the long haul and I’m so ready for my future as a heavily modified professional artist.
This makes me want to cry and I really hope things are changing for the better
Same. ❤
Border control can also be awful when youre visibly modified, a year ago an acquaintance was on a road trip with a band, and they stopped him and detained him for a day and a half because they thought he was using and smuggling. The guy had just been driving for 12 hours, he was just tired, but bc of body mods they thought otherwise.
I always take out most of my jewelry for job interviews, leaving subtle jewelry in to see if they react to the piercings. When I have a job I switch to subtler jewelry during work hours just to avoid nonsense. It shouldnt be this way, bc how I look shouldnt dictate my employability, but unfortunately still plenty of progress to be made there. Gotta suffer a bit before I can switch to tattooing full time and worry about this less.
I worry about needing emergency medical care and having to rely on biased doctors and nurses to make medical decisions for me, even disregarding what I’d say in favor of their gut feeling.
youve put it into words much better than i ever could. im quite modified, i work with a lot of people in the 18-20 age range that are just starting to get tattoos or piercings and a lot come to me for questions and advice. im quite lucky to be in a workplace in my industry that is pretty lax on modifications, but for a lot of people this isnt what they want to be doing forever, and its hard to articulate some of the consequences of modifications, especially to people who are just so excited to get started. i never want to shoot people down, but i never want them to get blindsided about the real consequences of modifications. so i appreciate this video for helping me to find the language for it ! unless someone else warns you, that reality check can be so tough, and i dont want that for others if i can help. live out ur modification dreams! in an informed way !
I'm so grateful that, as a high school teacher, I'm free to modify myself as I want. Granted, I'm in California, but it's a really big plus for me. I have a lot of talks with students about mods that won't likely impact future prospects, so I really appreciate you putting out this video. Love your channel.
I had knuckle tats by the age of 17 and started piercing my face by 15. At job interviews i wear gloves or long sleeves which stay on the first few weeks if I get hired. I am now in academia and have gotten more extreme piercings as a grad student than ever before. I tell myself I can make them look very professional and classy, but I am also prepared to remove them if I have difficulty finding a good university position. I am a good scholar but have never fit in with the norm and am well aware I will have to work twice as hard on the job market despite having a PhD and years of qualifications. I am also holding off on more visible tattoos until I have a well established career.
some bars or nightclubs have a strict rule against wearing biker or gang colors or tattoos that might resemble a biker club membership as a preventive measure to keep peaceful conduct.
I remember when i got my first tattoo when i was 18, the tattoo artist gave me this really intense and serious look and explained about the stigma around visible tattoos and said that i shouldn't get the tattoo if i ever planned to work in short sleeves (it was an inner wrist tattoo.) I ended up getting the tattoo and i still love it over ten years later, but i still really appreciate that he took the time to warn me.
"We want to keep your tattoos covered" Do you KNOW how much those tattoos costed? Or what they could symbolize for someone?? The nerve...
If I were the manager of that shop I'd be absolutely furious, I would have missed out on a pricey sale because of my employee's personal taste.
35 piercings and counting. Working as a paramedic dealing with the elderly. Luckily, iv never had a patient refuse me to treat them and they seem more interested now then judgemental. But the same patients have seen me outside of uniform and they have crossed the street 😅.
The world could do with more thoughtful conversations like this
Just nonstop valid points 💯
This really put a finger on why I have worried very little about how my body mods will affect how people perceive me. I’m already plus size and experience so much medical discrimination that it isn’t something that crossed my mind as an added issue because it’s already happening to me. I already know when people see me they make a judgement of my value based on how I look, so I’d rather look how I want to.
1:41 this discrimination is completely uncalled for, they wouldn’t get any of my business and I’d leave an awful review and make a post about their discrimination letting everyone know they’re against body art. I’ve yet to be discriminated against for my tats and piercings but if something like this were to happen they’d immediately be put in place.
I've never had any discrimination against my piercings but my heart goes out to people who experience this
I'm so sorry to hear what happened to your friend when he broke his leg. I work on an ambulance and it is insane that they refused him pain management for an open fracture, especially when even if he was drug-seeking he still should have been given enough pain medication to make him comfortable.
I'm a trans woman, so I already get stares and discrimination. I also have eight visible face piercings and a few less visible in places. Sometimes it's just hard to pick apart "Are they staring cause they clocked me?" or "Are they staring cause of all the metal in my face?" I work in medical care, and have sometimes had trouble getting work despite experience and recommendations from previous managers. I've noticed I have better luck when I wear a mask to interviews and keep it on. I don't know, maybe it's some other reason. But maybe it isn't.
I have chronic pain, i have to plan my outfits very VERY well and take off piercings or hide them before going to anything medical. I curl my hair to hide my gauges.
My mom pushed me to dye my hair a natural red and i got a lot of nice comments but i also got horrible people who hate tattoos and modifications try to get closer to me with the hope that i was more normal.
Clearly that didnt happen and ive since been cutting off those people, but it still sucks.
I suspect that some of this going to get worse with the political climate.
The wedding dress one is bizarre to me. Money is money, even if you don't like the choice I don't know why you'd reject purchase unless there were some functional concern.
My best guess is they were concerned about brand image. Which I still think is ridiculous but it's at least a coherent reason.
I love that you made another video on this subject, I just watched your other one the other day. It’s something I’ve been experiencing a lot in the past year, since becoming heavily modified. I think going slowly into modifying your body, like you gave the example of waiting to get that hand tattoo and chest tattoo is really important when you are becoming heavily modified. Thank you so much!!!
I grew up around the local metal scene, I have vivid memories of my aunt getting ready for a job interview warring clothes and makeing shure her tattoos were hidden. I was so confused because it’s just a tattoo why would someone not hire you for something so small. People are literally just assholes little me, they are just weird assholes
i don't get why people care about body mods so much. it's really really weird. it doesn't affect them
@ that’s how I’ve always felt. This was such a mind fuck for me when I was little when this happened.
i grew up in a very conservative, religious area & people treated me so inappropriately even when i only had colored hair/stretched ears/clothes to express myself.
now years later i have more piercings & tattoos including my stretched septum. i'm lucky to work in an environment where there aren't any serious issues, just the occasional Trying To Be Nice But Ends Up Weird comment from older coworkers. but i'm afraid to see new medical providers, i've had so many awful experiences with doctors. already, i guess i have terrible luck with doctors being absolutely awful to me & now i have a self-imposed rule of always bringing my partner with me. there's just something so overwhelming & enraging about a doctor being dismissive & not helping me & on top of it all, being disrespectful, cruel & making weird/incorrect assumptions about my personal appearance choices. the choices that have done more good for my wellbeing & sense of peace than any doctor or mental health provider ever has.
Do you ever call the Drs out? Just curious
@RedNymph234 as much as i can, but my insurance covers a small list of places to go so i'm always afraid of them retaliating & not having any alternate options. so far it seems like the most effective thing i can do is bring my partner with me bcos everyone is more hesitant to say something insane if i have a man with me, & giving them an exhaustive list of my piercing/tattoo care routine bcos they really seem to know nothing about it
I developed cellulitis this past weekend within my one dimple piercing. I'm 99% sure that my dirty makup brushes caused it (I don't usually wear makeup and was in a rush to do it, I've never experienced bad things with any of my piercings). I recieved horrible care at my Urgent Care as a result. The older doctor told me I'd have to take them out with a bad look on her face and gave me zero care instructions. I took Tylenol for a few days before a friend told me to double check if I could take it with my antibiotics. Turns out it makes them less effective. Living in a rural area is hell but I love myself so much more with my modifications
I absolutely love that you talk about the good and the bad, I only have 3 piercings, I want more and also some tattoos. I’m glad I’ve waited this long to get them, thanks for sharing✨
This is an amazing video and I wish more artists and piercers would advise young adults this way. I’ve been contemplating a lip piercing as I really want one, however I already get plenty of stares and comments simply for my septum piercing and colored hair. This is wonderful food for thought. 💜
I have zero regret about my chest tattoo but I always thought it was wild the artist that was doing it waited until HALFWAY through to ask if it was my first tattoo because while it was not it was the tattoo i noticed a difference in how people treated me
Discrimination is everywhere, how people even go through the day while being under so much pressure.
The rheumatologist wouldn’t touch me until I had blood tests because he was convinced I would simply be ill due to my tattoos causing something. Obviously they had not. I do however have fibromyalgia and EDS
It's really wild to me that some people take tattoos as an invitation to touch others
My first uncomfortable experience due to my tattoos I was voting a few years back, my new polling place after getting a house is in a CCD school and as I was depositing my ballot this woman came up to my and lifted up my sleeve and started rubbing my arm and she said "oh did these hurt? Ah that actually probably the point huh?". Even though it wasn't necessarily as negative as a lot of people that discomfort will stick with me my whole life. People feel entitled to your body with modifications
Im trans, and native. So if people are looking at me, i doubt the stares are the percings and tattoos.
I’m not especially visibly modified, but I have tattoos that are very visible with short sleeves, visible facial piercings, and dyed hair. even the “harmless” repercussions of being poked and prodded and grabbed can be so overwhelming. I’ve had so many strangers immediately think it’s appropriate to touch or grab me (including touching or grabbing healing piercings). Because I’m young, I’ve intentionally chosen to have modifications that i can easily cover up or hide, and even my “acceptable “ level of modification has put me in so many uncomfortable situations
your story about your straight edge friend is very impactful but even if he had a history of substance abuse disorder it would still be bullshit to only give him tylenol for a broken leg. addicts still experience real pain too
I agree with everything you said 🥰 Never had a “negative” experience but while having my baby girl they thought my husband was my boyfriend and the Door Dasher on two separate occasions 🤣 We’re both decently tattooed with stretched lobes and piercings.
It's wild even health care judging you by your appearance, never heard of that before... It's heartbreaking, honestly. There are some very extreme body mods that scare the shit out of me, but we should really normalize piercings and most tattoos (I don't think discriminating tattoos are okay, that's why I said most).
it happens to people of color all the time 😢
@@rockband3enthusiast yes. And fat people too. Personal experience.
I had my blood drawn by a tattooed nurse a day after getting my first tattoo. She was really nice and we had a lovely conversation about tattoos :]
I've been refused entry at some bars because of looks (just piercings, no tattoos; and maybe a slightly weird hairstyle).. and that was already not ok. But people touching you? What is wrong with people? I'm not touching other peoples arms to see if they're really that muscular either. Maybe we should just start with that, and not touch people without permission
I’m 30, white, chronically ill and I have 3 small-medium tattoos and I have had a septum piercing, I’ve also dyed my hair at various points in my life, I don’t have more modifications because 1) I don’t have the money for it and b) I’m worried about the discrimination I might face when I’m already facing some. I appreciate your point of view and I’m glad to see some people are warning a younger generation about the risks
Your videos are always spot on. This is a really important conversation that needs to happen more often. I am 18 years old and I got my first facial piercing a few months ago after wanting it for years (it was my septum by the way). I will definitely continue to think through every modification I get and how it will affect my life. As always, thank you for such a great and informative video.
Do you know your friend could have sued I believe for them saying that they thought he was drug seeking. But I want to share this with you. I’m almost 60-year-old white male with no visible tattoos. Or piercings. And I was in excruciating pain From Lyme disease. And even after being diagnosed officially with the bacteria in my bloodstream. The doctors would not give me anything for the pain. Privately, they explained to me that it was because of the opioid crisis, and the fact that many medical professional still aren’t recognizing Lyme disease as a real thing?! Lol, this was really shocking to me because I was treated like someone who was drug seeking. So what did I do? Learn how to make my own painkillers for when or if I need them.
I think I should add to this conversation by saying that those of us already facing discrimination before walking in for modification don't want to experience another professional removing what little autonomy we have over ourselves. While I understand wanting to protect ones' professional reputation as well as the continued desire to not lose sleep over being a part of others being discriminated against. Denying people the right to do with their bodies that they want can have its own severe consequences for clients. I've been afraid to approach a tattoo artist because I am disabled, fat, mentally ill, queer, pink hair, and facial piercings. I want to be taken seriously not treated like a child incapable of making their own judgment calls. Which means if I want hand tattoos, I should be able to get them. I shouldn't have to spend thousands of dollars tattooing my body elsewhere to "prove" anything to anyone. Especially since I don't have the money to be doing all that prior to the tattoos I want most. It's a highly privileged position to expect someone to be in.
People are going to hate me no matter what I do. I'd rather live my life the way I want to live it while I can.
Especially since there are so many ways to get around dress codes. Makeup, clothes, ect.
@@TaintedSoulSilver I absolutely don’t disagree with giving people the autonomy over their body. I think for me my ethical questions arise when someone who is freshly 18, no facial piercings, no other tattoos, no dyed hair etc comes in wanting their hands or throat tattooed. It’s when I have a 16 year old asking me to do 0g nostrils on them. That was my inspiration to make this video- for very young folks who haven’t experienced the discrimination and the discomfort yet and who, thanks to social media, believe it doesn’t really exist or not as severely as we warn people it does.
I personally get a lot of flack for offering piercings others don’t (such as cheeks or large gauge work) that does carry a heavier social stigma. I believe my clients have a right to choose to get these piercings done. I ALSO believe that informed consent includes a conversation about the social impact and repercussions of getting this kind of work done. Hence- making this video.
@@Lynn_Loheide
The thing is autonomy goes both ways. Nobody can stop you from getting any modification you want but they can say they don't want to be the one to do certain modifications.
@@Tim85-y2q Thanks for adding nothing to the conversation, I guess.
i think it's really weird that people care so much about other people's bodies. i see people covered in tattoos and my eyes sparkle
you’re genuinely so wise! as a 25 modified person working in an office, this video stayed me from starting my hands
I got refused clothing sales because they were of the “wrong gender”
Give me the pieces of clothes stitched together lady!!!!
Ya know, ever since the ongoing covid pandemic, I think I'd feel okay getting piercings on my face, at least below the nose, because my respirator will hide it. This is still all something I need to think about however, and it makes me realize the tattoo I want to get behind my ear, well there's a good reason I'm hesitating and really thinking it over 🌸
ive had a lot of comments about my appearance when i worked at a hardware store. most of the time it was obviously about my piercings, but i also have a facial difference. so there were definitely times where it was unclear if they were talking about my visible disability, or my piercings.
I live in a small town (for now, thanks god I'm moving soon!) and I have to deal with all kinds of comments all the time, for years now, especially because I have colorful hair for like half of my life. I have to deal with weird comments like ''what a pokemon, weirdo, freak'' etc or old people staring at my tattoos and saying ''why did she destroyed her body like that'' and other type of things. I'm pretty much used to it because it happens so often I ignore this comments most of the time. But sometimes it hurts, especially if I go to the damn grocery store to buy bread and people look at me in the weird way. Just leave me alone, my god.. I'm just a human, the same human like you all. It's just.. tiring.
Sorry for my English, it's not my first language!
i've thought about this and worried about it a lot. but honestly being obviously trans as well as an artist i'm already kind of cooked
@verynormalvic thinking about getting tattoos and piercings as well, and I'm sure unsure... but I will figure out what I want to be and look like in time :). Be patient w yourself!
I'm convinced I got profiled because of my blue hair, tattoos, and few piercings. After I had a C-section they refused to give me proper pain medicine. I'm allergic to ibuprofen so I couldn't take that, which only left me with Tylenol. TWO DAYS after a major abdominal surgery the nurses told me I had to go home taking regular Tylenol at the dosage on the bottle. So after a huge surgery I was supposed to take the same medicine my husband would for a mild headache. They kept staring at my tattoos, which normally I assume people are just curious what they are, but the way they treated me makes me wonder. Ironically I am also straight edge, and I don't even drink caffeine while pregnant.
I had to beg for pain medicine and even when the ob granted the prescription, the nurses literally wouldn't bring it in when I asked because I was hours overdue for any pain management.
Refreshing to see someone talk about it. I didn’t know how I felt about piercings and tattoos, I never thought about the social repercussions. I showed my little brother my dream setup and he said “aren’t you worried about getting that second job” and I honestly hadn’t even thought about it. I already get treated very badly and just didn’t consider things could possibly get worse. Hearing everyone’s stories in the comments made me realize just how ignorant I’d been to my image because I already knew to blindside it 😅 very important video. I love this community I just wish I had more like us in my local area. I’m second guessing my piercing setup now because I’m an anxious and paranoid person. I don’t know if I could deal with getting stared at more or treated even worse. And this is coming from a highly feminine person with short hair, that’s already enough to put people off 🤷 society has truly went down the drain.
Maybe it's because I've lived in Vegas for 30 years, Sin City capital of the world, that I don't see a lot of discrimination and hate regarding piercings and tats. My brother-in-law is heavily tattooed, but he's a gentle giant. He's had two deployments with the military and is well- respected and liked. I have cartilage piercings and facial piercings and don't get looked at funny. Hell, my urologist even has a helix piercing and a nose ring. We here in Vegas are very open-minded.
The cognitive dissonance is insane, any human, addict or not, would be “seeking drugs” if they had a bad headache, never mind A BROKEN BONE STICKING OUT OF THEM
And these are meant to be well educated professionals 🤦🏽
Thank you for this. I don't consider myself heavily modified but I know a lot of people see me that way and I've been working from home for a few years. Really really want new piercings but have been concerned about when I try to work outside the home again and this very conversation has been on my mind.
These are the things you must factor in when you made the decision to modify yourself.
I'm lucky enough to live in a country where all civil servants and public employees like me are hired only on the basis of their CV, experience and access exam (think like the bar exam for lawyers). I have facial piercings and hand and neck tattoos as a high school teacher and it's fantastic. However, I have experienced discrimination and have had to dye my hair a natural color + hide tattoos & piercings to rent an apartment, for example. Prejudice is sadly a reality even when legislation is supposed to protect you against it!
Yeah I live in a country where we're supposed to be hired based only on our CV...but, we're dreaming if we think there's no employment discrimination, not just about tats or piercings, but our weight, age, skin color, gender, marital status etc. And there's really no way to enforce fair treatment, because there's no way to prove the discrimination against you.
I almost never see this talked about and i feel like its a v important observation to this topic, discrimination against body mods is deeply rooted in white supremacy and colonialism.
@@nopedynopenope107 people often do not realize how interlinked these things are
I'm just about to turn 22 and Australian. I have several piercings in my nose and ears (planning to stretch my ears), dye and cut my hair myself frequently, shave the tails of my eyebrows off, and have tattoos. Thankfully, I work in a place that's very accepting of my self-expression. I'm so lucky that, in my case, my experience and my skill has held more weight than my appearance. But I will never forget the looks I've gotten from my own family for getting body mods. I've been told so many times that I'm putting my career at risk because of how I look. I don't even have very visible tattoos.
I won't say that I haven't been judged for my body mods, I've had others in my workplace comment on my piercings and tattoos. I haven't experienced medical discrimination, but with my family's medical history, I won't be surprised if it happens one day. I like to think that in some ways it's getting better, but I'm still so careful about what I get out of fear of the impact it will have.
I have been accused of being an addict/drug seeking before and I assumed it was because I was so thin and tired looking following a surgery. It honestly hadn’t occurred to me that my tattoos might have played a part in that as well but they totally could have.
It was a therapist, and she would not let the question go when I told her no, I wasn’t using anything other than what I was prescribed. She called me a liar and pushed me until I snapped and walked out in tears.
I’ve been immensely lucky that I’ve mostly had positive interactions (and even encouragement at my office job) about my unnatural hair, alternative style, and tattoos (I have 9 ear piercings (4 r, 5 l) and am working on stretching my lobes a little (my goal is just 1cm (00g)), but my ears don’t get noticed very often).
It makes me so sad and definitely a little scared to hear about people having really bad interactions just because they’ve chosen to look a way some parts of society doesn’t like.
I’m also non-binary and queer and neurodivergent, and looking alt and modified and nerdy is both to help me feel more at home in my own skin and to signal to other folks that we might have things in common. 😊
Also, also, I’ve known since I was 4 (currently 32), I wanted to be heavily tattooed so I wasn’t about to let social repercussions stop me…I am glad I didn’t start my tattoo journey right when I turned 18, but I also kind of wish I’d started a little earlier than 30 🤷
37 female here- I love the way you presented this. With 2 full sleeves and now hand tattoos (AFTER I became an established teacher), I have worked in plenty of fields. BUT- where I have experienced encounters like this are in the medical industry (had my galbladder removed- was refused pain meds at the pharmacy!) and shopping at the grocery- I literally was followed around and accused of stealing multiple times in the same Publix!!! I also believe tho that the more people who get modified, the less problematic overall it has been. Agreed 100% you have to have a thick skin!
I have never been seriously dicriminated against, but I tend to get a LOT of comments on my appearance having piercings, tattoos, and colorful hair. Most of the feedback is positive (although I'm not always in the mood to have my appearance commented on period), but after being visibly modified for about 3 years I have had two discriminatory experiences and they both stuck with me.
The first, a few years ago, I was working a retail job, and a customer tapped me on the shoulder to ask for help. I turned around and asked what I could help them with. Then they saw my face, said "nevermind" and walked away.
The second, more recently, I was working a different retail job. A customer walked in and I greeted him in the most friendly and normal way possible, but he stopped dead in his tracks, stared at my face and said, "What happened to your nose??" I told him it had been pierced, and he said "You've gotta take that shit out, man. It's a waste of time." After that he refused to let me help him even though I wasn't busy and the only other person working there was my boss who was busy closing the store, and eventually had to tell him to leave.
For me, being modified is definitely more than worth having experiences like these. It's just annoying how many complete strangers feel entitled to comment on your appearance when you look different from the norm (which I already get enough of from being visibly trans.)
I'm glad you made this. I have a few tattoos myself and I want to have more in the future. Everytime I want a tattoo, I have this anxiety about how I'm going to be seen, especially work/medical settings. I also have a friend who does piercings and tattoos, and he comes from a more isolated part of my country (almost in the mountains). Both he and a librarian I used to work with (who worked in a seaside town), told me the same thing: old people look at them like they shouldn't be doing the jobs they're doing. My friend also told me his costumers can also be gang members and dangerous people, so you never know who walks into your saloon. But it doesn't always have to be dangerous people. Also I read blogs from tattooed people saying that if you have visible tattoos, most people say you're not obedient at work, or if you work customer service you look menacing. There also people who think tattoos are cool, but they are few and far between.
It could be that in bigger cities is more widely accepted that people have tattoos, but still it's not completely accepted.
I’m a doctor and had to take off my eyebrow, septum and tongue piercing to be taken seriously. Otherwise ever since med school, I’ve been told I haven’t been serious about my degree because of my body modifications. I also full undershirts under my scrubs to cover my arms which are tattooed cos of the awful amount of discrimination you go through. It’s not just with body modified patients, doctors do that with other doctors too. It sucks overall
Thank you for talking earnestly about this.
My father said if you get modified it is my decision I just should think about placement that would not interfere with my professional life. It depends so much on the sector you are working in. It is still something I consider every single time when I get a new tattoo done.
My tattoos are all easily covered by a t shirt and pt shorts but ive noted very often how people treat me differently both good and bad when someone sees/finds out.
You meet someone, know them for a day or year, and then go to the pool or something and *bam*